Process of



`Dc. 6, l 651 572 4 f w. H. ALBEE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOOTBALL 'CLEATS To SHOES Filed o'ct. 4, 1922 E?! annum /Nl/ENTOR;

' ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

oraria-D- STATES i l l 1,651,572 PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY ALBEE, 0F MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTSASSIGNORTO'KOEHLER MANUFACTURINGCOMEANY, OF MARLBORVO, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATON OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OFVArPLYmG FOOTBALL OLEATS To sHoEs.

Application filed October 4, 1922. Serial No. 592,333.

This invention relates to footballk cleats and to processes ofsecuring them to a shoe.

The usual process heretofore practiced of equipping a shoe with a football cleat has consisted in cementing together pieces of leather to build up a block or blank of the desired height, then nailing this assembled piece to the bottom .of a shoe, and finally trimming said block either ywith a knife or with a hammermid chisel to form a cleaty of the desired shape and size. This process obviously requires a great-deal of labor, it produces cleats which are not uniform in size or shape, and there is great danger of cutting the sole or heel of a shoe in trimming the cleat. In fact, this process really involves performing the greater part of the manufacturing operations'on the cleat after it has been secured to the shoe.

The present invention aims to improve this process with a view to reducingthe expense involved, improving the quality of the work produced, and eliminating the danger of injuring the shoe.

The nature ofthe invention will be readily understood from the following description whenv read in connection vwith the accompanying drawings, andthe novel features willbe particularly pointed out in the appended claim. 1

`Beferringpnow to the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of a cleat blank or block;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the block after it has been trimmed; i

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a. completed cleat;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical, cross sec tional view of the cleat shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view showing the manner in which the cleat preferably is secured to the sole of a shoe; and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view through the cleat and a portion of the sole after the attaching operation has been completed.

According to the present process the manufacturing Operations on the cleat are first completed and subsequently it is secured to the bottom of a` shoe.

The cleat may be made of any suitable material but usually consists of several lifts of leather 2 cemented together, one on top of the other, to form a blank of the desired dimensions. This blank is then run through tion of a cylinder, the axis of which extends lengthwise of the cleat, so that the two edges at opposite sides of the base of the cleat lie below the, remainder of the base. This makes the base of the cleat conform substantially to the curvature of the sole of a shoe so that when it is nailed on the sole the edges 'ofthe cleat will hug the sole tightly. The

concave shape of the base also has the advantage of preventing the edges of the cleat from curling up when the cleat is nailed to the shoe, whichV has been-an objectionable feature of prior constructions.

During the molding operation and while ythe surfaces of the cleat are confined against distortion, several holes, usually four, are punched almost through the cleat from the upper surface thereof, these holes being designed to receive the nails or other fasten ings by means of which the cleat ultimately will be secured on the bottom of the shoe. The cleat in this condition forms an article of commerce. I prefer, however, before marketing the cleat, to drive into it the. fastenings by means of which it, is t0 be secured to the shoe, thus producing a cleat that is entirely self-coi'ltained. A particular advantage of this arrangement is that the nails canA all he driven at once by machinery so that a substantial saving in labor is effected, the nails are driven uniformly, and the attaching of the cleat to the shoe is facilitated. ticrally through the cleat avoids the danger which otherwise would be present of the nails being diverted during the` driving process, with the consequent damage to the cleat and probably also to the shoe. Figs. 3 and 4 show the cleat with nails 4 partially driven therethrough, the head and a substantial length of each nail projecting above the upper surface of the cleat. These nails preferably are driven into the position shown in Figs. 3 and l while the base of the cleat rests on a curved support so that the curva- The punching of the holes practure ol'- the bottoni of the cleat 'will not be distorted. The points i the Vnitiie `niay prick through the bottoni fece oi' theelezit.

The entire trimming operation need not `precede the nioiding;'in feet it is preferable under seine circumstances to trlin the hloch longitudinally, then compress it, und subescquently, While theblenlt is in the more con solideted und stable Condition, to triin the ends. The holes are punched later.

For the purpose of eiixing :i `elet to the bottoni oi n shoe en iron lust G, Fig'. `5, is

"Since `the eleL h e ,the walls .of this recess eoniine the lateral 1nL d ii'ithiiithe shoe, indieeted diagrene nmticrlly ut in `seid ,figur-e. Theelegit'() is phieed in the desired poe'` ion on the AShoe bottoni, undtlie unile 4f ure "then driven through `the eleet 1nd ,into the ehoegsole, the pointsy of the nail elenching;` on the sui-flee of the iron lest 6. There ie considerable denger oi. splitting the cleat during this operation,` or et le; t distorting it so nluch that 1t Premete en enf-item1? epew'ence,

and in order to overeoine this objeetion l` prefer to eoniine the later-:il` feces or edgey of the `cleat Awhile the itesteninge are being driven. i

` in Fi o.

For `this purpose `(the ,tool shown `5 `nmy eonyeniently he used, elthoiigh `:this Step of the `proeees nfigiy 1he performed 1n :my other .Suitable ii'uiinie/r.` It will be ob- `Seizyed thfrt the toolconiprieee` e body `7 lieringi-i entity S in its lower `end in which the cleat C tits enug1y-` This body pro-- vided with @series of holes 10, intoqthe lower `ende :of yWliieh `the nails el` project, :1

`serieta of driftere 12 slidebly 1ijnountefl ,1n these holes. 'lliesedrivers :tre eeeured to `u driver bur 1d .which Slides Within the ybody f7, -ond ,theybe'r is provided with ahead `which onlyconveniently be struck by emul- 1et,"thus driving :ill ifour `nails, et once. snugly `:in the l.recess 8,

.turesv `the cient liigilinejt distortion `while ithe lty'eejteningsare beillgldriven. The stroke of the driver bur 14; 1,is limited by the en- ,gegeinent of the yheedl `with the upper heretofore preetieedi` Any danger yeuttlng the shoe is conjipletely uvoided, und

driving 'tesieninge therethrough, uny danger of splitting `the (fleet, or distorting it i identioily,` ie eoi'upletely avoided. h Geneeouently, when the `proc husbeen coinnle`teri,` the eleut presensu nent und ,tiniejhed aippeiirirnce. liurtheijniore, thiel invention not only results in giving the cleats e nniiornji `sind inore Sittieij'eetoryzippeeriniee,

but it thein to the Shoe in suoh e man@` ner "that `they :ire strong i' endtlhere is ntially lese` danger of their bee ning loogsened than when applied by the proc ee domage to the shoeor the cleiltsdiie to iinproper driving `o i' the fuetenings is feliirri neted. `Furtheri'nore,` the eleetls `proitided by this invention nrepreliferred by the trede because theywcen be upplied'yto the shoe more y y eeeily, particularly when they ere loeded with nails, usebove deeeribed.

Heviigrthue desicribed my `invent-ion, "what desiretoeleiin es neu' iS: y

That improvement in the procese of eiecering u tapered `football eleiitltou ,Shoe which eonsie,` in pleoinglthe cleat in the tieeired position on the bottom of the Shoe, driving flfnsteninge through the clout und into the bottoni ot the shoe, suliporting the tapered leeee of the cient against diStortion while seid instellinge ire beingdriyeu, und guging .the Stroke Ioi" the drivnwig nl elns `ironi eind tapered (times oli the elem.

WJLLIAM uriner Algerien, 

